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Neither. All the best stuff is creator-owned these days, if you ask me. Image and Dark Horse are the biggest and best "third party candidates," but Boom and Dynamite have some good stuff, too.
Honestly, find an author that you like and follow them, not the characters. Mignola, Lemire, Hickman, Faction or Gillen can write absolutely anything and make it compelling, and there are a ton of other interesting, unique authors out there these days.
If you want specific series or arcs, HMU with a few examples of what you like and I'm sure I can throw out a few suggestions (and if I can't, someone else can)
I like superhero, strongman type comics that have some complexity of character (not simply smash the problem away) Thor, My Hero Academia: Deku and Allmight, Hyperion, Superman, Silver Surfer.
If you haven't read it yet, Invincible is great.
Lemire and Ellis's runs in Moon Knight are amazing.
You also might really like Black Hammer, which is like a deconstruction/reimagining of the Silver Age Justice League (I think it's Dark Horse, but it might be Vertigo). In general, I tend to like more high brow/pretentious stuff and the art, the characters, and the plot are all spectacular.
Edit: plus Hellboy, obviously. Mignola's art and love for pulpy, over-the-top monsters and plots are just phenomenal, IMHO. Nothing like Lovecraftian horrors and world-shattering battles to make for great comics
Edit 2: you mentioned Silver Surfer, so I'm also assuming you've already read Hickman's run on Fantastic Four and FF. If not, start there. It's one of my favorite Marvel runs of all time
Oh! Forgot to add Invincible on the list. I've only watched the TV show and fell in love with those characters too. Perfect recommendation. I'll have to check out the rest đ
Maybe Stan Lee, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Steve Ditko, Larry Lieber, Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel, and other classic authors?
What a good list, and I will add Mike Carey.
I do read mostly the indies because it's just too much work for too little payoff to try to follow a mainstream series, and I'm way more into sci fi & fantasy (and fantastical not realistic horror) than superhero stuff. I wait for each season to be collected into a paperback then get it. There is so much out there.